Method to insert program boundaries in linear video for adaptive bitrate streaming

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for indicating a program boundary in an adaptive bitrate media stream, where the system includes a memory and a processor that performs operations including generating multiple transcoded media output streams of different bit rates from an input linear media stream, fragmenting the multiple transcoded media output streams into chunks, detecting a program boundary in the input linear media stream, and supplying a program change indicator in a manifest file for implementing program change features in mobile communication devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 17/143,537, (now U.S. Pat. No. ______) filed on Jan. 7, 2021, whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/189,202 (nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,944,806), filed on Jun. 22, 2016. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/143,537 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/189,202 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety. Priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/143,537 andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/189,202 is hereby claimed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to a method to insert program boundariesof linear video and other media for adaptive bitrate streaming.

BACKGROUND

Detecting a program boundary in a linear video has been done on thetraditional broadcast/cable videos using set top box and othertechnologies. It is critical for a streaming video application toenforce features like parental control, blackout, sponsored data, etc.,even on mobile devices. Thus, the accuracy of program boundary becomescritical for providing such features. Program boundary detection isimplemented by comparing clock time of the media stream and assumingthat programs begin/end at scheduled times, which is quiteunsatisfactory. Due to potential issues with clock synchronization, orcontent delivery network latency, program boundaries during playback ofprograms may not precisely occur when scheduled, i.e., typically on thehour or half-hour. The program boundary may be off by several seconds orpotential off for few minutes, thereby preventing precise implementationof programming rules, such as parental controls, which may either beenforced early or late, potentially causing discomfort to subscribers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a manifest file;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used by a systemto prepare streaming media content described in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used by a systemto stream media content described in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems of media content providers;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for supplying a program change indicator in a manifest filefor an adaptive bitrate streaming paradigm, to implement program changefeatures in mobile communication devices. Other embodiments aredescribed in the subject disclosure.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a system forindicating a program boundary in an adaptive bitrate media stream, wherethe system includes a memory and a processor that performs operationsincluding generating multiple transcoded media output streams ofdifferent bit rates from an input linear media stream, fragmenting themultiple transcoded media output streams into chunks, detecting aprogram boundary in the input linear media stream, and supplying aprogram change indicator in a manifest file for implementing programchange features in mobile communication devices.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a machine-readablestorage medium with executable instructions that, when executed by aprocessor of a media player, facilitate performance of operations,including requesting media content for display by the media player,receiving a manifest file for an adaptive bitrate media stream of themedia content, measuring an available bandwidth for downloading datafrom a content delivery network, requesting a chunk of the media contentidentified by a uniform resource identifier in the manifest file basedon the available bandwidth, receiving the chunk from the contentdelivery network, detecting a program change indicator for the chunk inthe manifest file, and displaying the chunk of the media content.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a process thatincludes detecting, by a system comprising a processor, a programboundary in an input linear media stream, generating, by the system, amanifest file comprising metadata that identifies uniform resourceidentifiers for downloading chunks of a transcoded media output stream,wherein chunks are fragments of the transcoded media output stream,wherein the transcoded media output stream comprises a bit rate that isgenerated from the input linear media stream, and wherein each chunkcomprises a fixed display time, inserting, by the system, a programchange indicator into the manifest file that identifies the programboundary in a chunk, and sending, by the system, the manifest file to amedia player.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 100for delivering media content. The communication system 100 can representan Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system. One or more devicesillustrated in the communication system 100 of FIG. 1 can generateseveral parallel segments of media content having different bitrates anda small duration sufficient to support an adaptive bitrate streamingparadigm. The one or more devices illustrated in the communicationsystem 100 of FIG. 1 can also create a playlist file for a media playerto use to download and stream the media content from a content deliverynetwork. By examining input linear media content, the one or moredevices illustrated in the communication system 100 of FIG. 1 can detecta program boundary in the input linear media content and provide anindication in the playlist file denoting the program boundary, asdescribed in more detail below.

The IPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 110 withat least one super headend office server (SHS) 111 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereof.The SHS server 111 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 114 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 112 according to a multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via a contentdelivery network 118 to commercial and/or residential buildings 102housing a gateway 104 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). Thecontent delivery network 118 can represent a group of digital subscriberline access multiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or aservice area interface that provide broadband services over fiberoptical links or copper twisted pairs 119 to buildings 102. The gateway104 can use communication technology to distribute broadcast signals tomedia processors 106 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 108 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 107 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 104, the media processors 106, and media devices 108 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, or other presentor next generation local or personal area wireless network technologies.By way of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 106 and subsystems of the IPTV media systemfor services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 129 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 1 . The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 100. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 115 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 131 coupled to thebuilding 102. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver131 can be transferred to the media processors 106 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 108. The media processors 106 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) Network 132 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 133 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system100. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 133 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services. Communicationsystem 100 enables various types of interactive television and/orservices including IPTV, cable and/or satellite.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices and multimedia broadcast content can be offered to mediadevices

Additionally, the VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast content towireless communication devices 116 via a content delivery network 118 byway of a wireless access base station 117 operating according to commonwireless access protocols such as Global System for Mobile or GSM, CodeDivision Multiple Access or CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA,Universal Mobile Telecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability forMicrowave or WiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolutionor LTE, and so on. Other present and next generation wide area wirelessaccess network technologies can be used in one or more embodiments ofthe subject disclosure.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 130, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over the ISP Network 132 towireline media devices 108 or wireless communication devices 116.

Communication system 100 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 130 (herein referred to as transcoder 130) to providemedia preparation services for media content received by SHS 111 fordistribution to VHS 114. The transcoder 130 can use computing andcommunication technology to perform function 162, which can includeamong other things, transcoding, fragmenting, or manifest generatingfunctions desirable in an adaptive bitrate streaming paradigm.

In an exemplary adaptive bitrate streaming paradigm, may be used toprocess input linear media stream of media content received fromsatellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. Such processing maybe implemented by a real-time transcoder or an on demand just-in-timetranscoder. The transcoders convert whole content streams in to multiplestreams at different bit rates. For example, an transcoder may take anMPEG stream (e.g., MPEG-2/MPEG-4) or a stored MPEG stream (e.g.,MPEG-2/MPEG-4), encoding it digitally, encapsulating it in to MPEG-2single program transport streams (SPTS) multiple bit rates formats, andpreparing the encapsulated media for distribution by the contentdelivery network 118. As another example, a live stream may be encodedinto multiple transport streams, each having a different bit rate. Thelive stream may be a broadcast of multimedia content from a contentprovider, received by SHS 111. The live stream is transcoded intomultiple transport streams, each having a different bit rate. The storedstream may be on demand content, for example.

Next, transcoder 130 can divide the resultant multiple transport streamsinto a series of fragments of a finite duration, known as “chunks.” Forexample, MPEG streams may be divided into a series of 2-3 second chunkswith multiple wrappers for the various adaptive streaming formats (e.g.,Microsoft Smooth Streaming, APPLE HLS). The resultant adaptive bit ratemedia segments are known as chunk files. The transcoder 130 may supportprofiles from the MPEG DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP)format, which is a standardized adaptive streaming specification thathas been developed as an industry standard by MPEG. This system could beimplemented in MPEG DASH without any special logic in the client andmost likely in existing proprietary adaptive bit rate schemes.

The transcoder 130 may be configured to perform segmentation/chunkingfor either all output adaptive bit rate formats or a subset of theoutput adaptive bit rate streaming formats. The playback duration ofeach chunk may be different for each adaptive bit rate format, but allwill have to be an integer multiple of the group of pictures (GOP) sizeor key frame intervals. However, for a given adaptive bit rate format,the chunk durations will be the same for all streams in an output streamgroup. In an alternative embodiment, transcoder 130 can encrypt eachchunk using a content key, to maintain digital rights management (DRM)requirements.

In addition, transcoder 130 can generate a manifest file that representsa playlist. The playlist can be a manifest file that lists informationfor downloading the chunk files bearing the multimedia content fromstorage locations in content delivery network 118. By way of anon-limiting example, the manifest file can comprise a uniform resourceidentifier (URI) for each chunk file of the multimedia content, such asa uniform resource locator (URL) or path/filename where the chunk filemay be downloaded. If encrypted, the manifest file can also comprise aURI for retrieval of a content key used to decrypt the fragments of themultimedia content.

The transcoder 130 may support ad-insertion, blackout/contentsubstitution, and enforcement of parental rights via playlistmanipulation. The actual playlist manipulation may or may not beperformed by the transcoder 130. In an embodiment, the transcoder mayexamine the input linear media stream to detect where a program boundaryoccurs. The transcoder 130 may insert a program change indicator intothe manifest file that identifies where the program boundary occurswithin a particular chunk. The program change time indicator may denotean amount of elapsed media render time, from the beginning of the chunk,when the program boundary occurs. The program change time indicator mayalso or alternatively denote the amount of media render time remainingbefore the end of the chunk, after the program boundary. In addition,the transcoder may include a total duration of play time for the chunk.In an alternative embodiment, the transcoder 130 may divide the chunk atthe program boundary, thereby creating two smaller chunks, and providethe program change indicator in the manifest file between the dataidentifying each of the two smaller chunks.

After processing, the adaptive bit rate stream chunk files and/orrespective manifest files are published to downstream servers, such asVHS 114, for streaming the chunk files to clients upon request. Thechunk files may be delivered using common Internet protocols, namelyHTTP over TCP/IP, a robust and reliable transfer protocol in whichclients request content segments and web servers respond accordingly.Thus, within an embodiment of an adaptive bit rate system, knowledge ofall content segments delivered and to whom they are delivered can beprovided for use in network-based viewership monitoring and sponsorshiptracking.

The transcoder 130 may also facilitate adaptive bit rate streaming ofvideo and audio to multi-screen video (MSV) clients. The functionsprovided by transcoder 130 may be a software element residing on servers130, VHS 114, or may co-exist with any HTTP server or streaming edgeservers in content delivery network 118, or may be a standaloneappliance. Further, transcoder 130 may optionally have a built-incontent delivery network interface or an HTTP server interface such thatit can support clients directly. Direct support of clients may belimited to VoD and networked digital video recorder (nDVR) typeapplications.

Logic in the content delivery network 118 stores the chunk filesaccording to an internal heuristic logic algorithm, determining whetherand where to store the content. For example, more popular content may bestored in local storage to decrease network bandwidth usage and increaseaccess speed. Less popular content may be stored in a central repositoryto reduce costs for fast storage. For example, content that may bestored includes VoD and nDVR content. Live broadcast, non-DVR contentchunk files may be distributed by the content delivery network but onlystored temporarily to facilitate distribution.

Communication system 100 may illustratively implement, for example, oneor more open or proprietary protocols for adaptive bit rate streamingsuch as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), SecureMedia's Encryptonite One HLS+solution, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, HTTP Dynamic Streaming, DynamicAdaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), HTTP Smooth Streaming (HSS), andthe like. The transcoder 130 converts one or more multi-bit rate streamsof an input stream group into logical files formatted for a particularoutput streaming format such as HLS, HDS, HSS or DASH. In HSS, HDS andDASH all of the chunks associated with a given format and bit rate arestored within the same file. In HLS however, each chunk is stored in itsown file. So assuming two second chunks, three bitrates and a 30 minuteprogram, the transcoder 130 will create three HSS files but 2700 HLSfiles. The transcoder may be capable of creating multiple formatssimultaneously. Each format to be generated is specified by a profile.Apple HLS breaks the whole content stream in to a sequence of small HTTPbased file downloads. As the stream is played, the client selects from anumber of different bit rate streams based on the client CPU andbandwidth. Microsoft HSS is a media services extension to enableadaptive streaming of media to clients over HTTP, using a concept ofdelivering small content fragments (e.g., 2 seconds video) and verifyingthat each has arrived within appropriate time and playback at theexpected quality level. Overall quality with adaptive bit rate may bethe best possible for a given user's network connection, therebymaximizing the quality of experience.

The transcoding, fragmenting, and manifest generating function 162techniques of transcoder 130 are described below in method 300 of FIG. 3. The media processors 106 and wireless communication devices 116 can beprovisioned with software functions 164 and 166, respectively, to streammedia content prepared by the transcoder 130. For instance, functions164 and 166 of media processors 106 and wireless communication devices116 can be similar to the functions described for the wirelesscommunication devices 116 in accordance with method 400 described below.

FIG. 2 depicts illustrative embodiments of a manifest file 200. As shownin FIG. 2 , manifest file 200 comprises a series of lines of text,including a file header directive 210, a target duration tag 220, adecryption key tag 230, a track information directive 240, a mediasegment URI 245, and a program change indicator 250.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the file header directive 210 indicates that theexemplary manifest file conforms to an extended multimedia playlist(m3u) format. Media segments are sequentially listed in manifest file200.

The target duration tag 220 specifies the maximum duration of a mediasegment when rendered by a media player.

The decryption key tag 230 specifies how to decrypt the media segments.The decryption key tag 230 applies to every media segment that appearsbetween it and the next decryption key tag in the manifest file. Thedecryption key tag 230 includes attributes for an encryption method anda URI that specifies how to obtain the decryption key.

The track information directive 240 comprises a runtime length of themedia segment, usually expressed in seconds, and optionally a title. Thetrack information directive 240 of each media segment in the manifestfile, when rounded to the nearest integer, must be less than or equal tothe value specified by the target duration tag 220.

The media segment URI 245 identifies the next track for the media playerto render. The media segment URI 245 provides a location where eachchunk file, such as 101.ts, 102.ts, etc., may be downloaded. In thisexample, a local pathname, relative to the M3U manifest file location,is specified, rather than a full URL for the media segment URI 245.

The program change indicator 250 indicates when a program change occurs.In this example, a media segment of 10 second duration was fragmentedinto two separate chunk files at the program boundary. The programchange indicator 250 may include a timestamp indicating a schedule timefor the program boundary. A media segment URI 260 for a first chunkfile, 103.ts, now has a duration of 6 seconds, as indicated by trackinformation directive 265. A media segment URI 270 for a second chunkfile, 104.ts, has a duration of 4 seconds, as indicated by trackinformation directive 275. The program change indicator 250 is insertedbefore the track information directive 275 for the second chunk file,and expressly indicates a program change begins with the next chunk fileidentified by the media segment URI 270 listed in the manifest file 200.The first portion of the media segment, chunk file 103.ts, is adjustedto accurately match the program change, i.e., the last 4 seconds ofcontent corresponding to the subsequent program that is removed from thechunk file. The track information directive 265 (which was originally 10seconds) is adjusted to indicate that the media segment duration time is6 seconds.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used by transcoder130 to perform transcoding, fragmenting, and manifest generatingfunction 162, used in an adaptive bitrate streaming paradigm. In moredetail, as illustrated by FIG. 3 , in step 302, transcoder 130 generatesa plurality of transcoded media output streams, for example, from aninput linear media, where each stream has a different bitrate from theother streams, to support the adaptive bitrate streaming paradigm.

Next, in step 304, transcoder 130 fragments each transcoded media outputstream into a series of chunk files. The chunk files are usually keptsmall in size and have a short (2-10 second) duration. Typically, thechunk files from every transcoded media output stream have the sameduration, so that switching between streams is easily achieved sinceeach chunk file from a first transcoded media output stream has acorresponding chunk file in all the other transcoded media outputstreams comprising the same content.

Next in step 306, the transcoder detects a program boundary in the inputlinear media stream. Program boundary detection can be achieved in avariety of ways, including black frame detection, significant audiopause, facial recognition, embedded audio cues, digital watermarks,programming guides, text analysis, or the like.

Then, in step 308, the transcoder 130 generates a manifest file thatincludes the media segments that will be rendered by a media player, inother words, a list of the chunks for a particular bitrate of the mediastream. The transcoder 130 may optionally include the metadata describedin FIG. 2 . In particular, the transcoder 130 may include metadata thatspecifies the duration of the media segment rendered from the chunk.

Next, in step 310, the transcoder 130 inserts a program change indicatorinto the manifest file that shows where a program change occurs in aparticular chunk. The program change indicator may be inserted beforethe listing for the chunk where the program boundary occurs, so that themedia player receiving the manifest file can easily implement rule-basedactions that may occur at the program boundary, as described below.

Next, in step 312, the transcoder 130 determines whether to subdivide achunk when a program boundary occurs within the chunk. Chunk subdivisionmay help to enforce rules that may or may not be implemented by a mediaplayer, since rendering of media content can be inhibited by the contentdelivery network squelching delivery of chunks, rather than relyingsolely on the media player to enforce rules. If chunk subdivision is notimplemented, then the process continues at step 320 below.

If chunk subdivision is implemented, then the process continues at step314, where transcoder 130 splits a chunk at the program boundary. A copyof the second portion of the media segment after the program boundary iscopied into a new chunk, and the split chunk is truncated at the programboundary, leaving the first portion of the media segment belonging tothe first program in the split chunk. This process is repeated for everyother chunk from the other transcoded media output streams having aprogram boundary that occurs within the chunk.

Next, in step 316, the transcoder 130 updates the manifest file to listthe split chunk and the new chunk. In addition, the transcoder 130adjusts the metadata to accurately match the effect of removing mediacontent following the program change, and the addition of the new chunk,by including information such as the amount of time from the beginningof the chunk to the program boundary.

Next, in step 318, the transcoder 130 updates any sponsorship data inthe network for the new chunks. Sponsorship may be tracked by thecontent delivery network tallying downloads of chunk files, and theduration of such chunk files. The duration of the new chunks will becounted as sponsored, thereby preventing a loss of sponsorship revenuefor the first chunk of the second program stream.

In step 320, the manifest file and chunk files generated are sent forstorage in a content delivery network. As described above, the contentdelivery network is responsible for sending the chunk files uponrequest, typically by a HTTP GET request, from a media player.Alternatively, the manifest file and chunk files may be sent fortemporary storage in the content delivery network, or sent directly tothe media player streaming the program.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used by wirelesscommunication device 116 to implement an adaptive bitrate streamingfunction 166 to stream media content. As shown in FIG. 4 , in step 402wireless communication device 116 makes a request for streaming mediacontent. The request can be formulated through services such as VoD,nDVR, browsing an EPG, or other infrastructure services provided by acontent delivery network, or through links obtained from the Internet,and may be implement by a media player adapted to implement adaptivebitrate streaming function 166.

Next, in step 404, the wireless communication device 116 receives aplaylist for streaming the media content. As described above, theplaylist is a manifest file that provides a listing of media segmentsfor a media player on the wireless communication device 116 to render.

Next, in step 406, the wireless communication device 116 examines theplaylist to determine whether a program change indicator is present. Ifthere is no program change indicator, then the process continues withstep 410 described below. If there is a program change request, then theprocess continues with step 408.

In step 408, the wireless communication device 116 may determine whethera content restriction rule must be implemented regarding media contentassociated with the next program following the program break. Forexample, the wireless communication device 116 may stream alternatemedia, such as an advertisement or sponsored media in the place of ablacked out media program. As shown in FIG. 4 , in such event theprocess may continue back to step 402, where the request for alternativemedia would be lodged. The wireless communication device 116 canprecisely enforce such rules at the end of a current program and beforethe blackout screen. The benefit of such precision lies in the abilityto generate additional revenue by selling blackout programming periodsfor advertisements or featured/sponsored media. As another example,parental controls settings may be more precisely enforced by a mediaplayer application on the wireless communication device 116.

In step 410, the wireless communication device 116 measures availablebandwidth, i.e., the data communications rate, with the content deliverynetwork. The available bandwidth to download chunk files and otherfactors, such as the processing capacity of wireless communicationdevice 116, are used to determine the bitrate of the media stream thatshould be delivered to the wireless communication device 116. Suchdetermination can be implemented by either the wireless communicationdevice 116, or devices in the content delivery network. Should a changebecome necessary, as shown in FIG. 4 , the process may optionallycontinue back to step 402, where the request for media content having adifferent bitrate would be lodged.

In step 412, the wireless communication device 116 requests one or moremedia segments found in the playlist. For example, the wirelesscommunication device 116 may submit a HTTP GET request to download achunk using a URL specified in the playlist from a server in the contentdelivery network.

In step 414, the wireless communication device 116 renders the mediasegment in the chunk downloaded from the content delivery network. Ifthe program boundary occurs in the chunk, then the media playerapplication on the wireless communication device 116 may enforce anycontent restriction rules, as described in step 408, for content in thechunk beyond the program boundary.

In step 416, the wireless communication device 116 tests whether the endof the playlist has been reached. If not, then the process continuesback to step 410. Alternatively, the process may continue back to step412, depending upon the frequency of testing available bandwidth andadjusting downloads. If the end of the playlist has been reached, thenthe process returns to step 402.

While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the respectiveprocesses are shown and described as a series of blocks in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed subject matteris not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks may occur indifferent orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from what isdepicted and described herein. In addition, any devices enumerated inconnection with FIG. 1 may be used to implement the functions 162-166described in FIGS. 3 and 4 besides the exemplary devices describedtherein. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required toimplement the methods described herein.

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 502 of acommunication system 500. Communication system 500 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with communication system 100, as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 100. The web portal502 can be used for managing services of communication system 100. A webpage of the web portal 502 can be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator(URL) with an Internet browser using an Internet-capable communicationdevice such as those described in FIG. 1 . The web portal 502 can beconfigured, for example, to access a media processor 106 and servicesmanaged thereby such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), a VoD catalog,an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), or a personal catalog (such aspersonal videos, pictures, audio recordings, etc.) stored at thewireless communication device 116. The web portal 502 can also be usedfor provisioning Internet services, provisioning cellular phoneservices, and so on.

The web portal 502 can further be utilized to manage and provisionsoftware applications 164-166 to adapt these applications as may bedesired by subscribers and/or service providers of communication system100. For instance, users of the services provided by the server 130 canlog into their on-line accounts and provision the server 130 with userprofiles, content preferences, parental controls rules, etc., andprovide contact information to server to enable it to communication withdevices described in FIG. 1 , and so on. Service providers can log ontoan administrator account to provision, monitor and/or maintain thecommunication system 100 of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 600.Communication device 600 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIG. 1 and can beconfigured to perform portions of method 400 of FIG. 4 . Communicationdevice 600 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular handset, apersonal digital assistant, or a wireless networking device.

Communication device 600 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 602 (herein transceiver 602), a user interface (UI) 604, apower supply 614, a location receiver 616, a motion sensor 618, anorientation sensor 620, and a controller 606 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 602 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth®and ZigBee®, are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth® SpecialInterest Group and the ZigBee® Alliance, respectively). Cellulartechnologies can include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS,TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generationwireless communication technologies as they arise. The transceiver 602can also be adapted to support circuit-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wireline accesstechnologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 604 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 608 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device600. The keypad 608 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 600 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth®. The keypad 608 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 604 can further include a display610 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 600. In anembodiment where the display 610 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 608 can be presented by way of the display 610 withnavigation features.

The display 610 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 600 can be adapted to present a user interface withgraphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by a userwith a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 610 can be equippedwith capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology todetect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 610 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 600 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 604 can also include an audio system 612 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 612 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 612 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI604 can further include an image sensor 613 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 614 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 600 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 616 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 600 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 618can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 600 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 620 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device600 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 600 can use the transceiver 602 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 606 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 600.

Other components not shown in FIG. 6 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 600 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 606 of the communication device 600. Inyet another embodiment, the communication device 600 can also include afactory default setting button positioned, for example, below a smallhole in a housing assembly of the communication device 600 to force thecommunication device 600 to re-establish factory settings. In thisembodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen or paperclip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default setting button.The communication device 600 can also include a slot for adding orremoving an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 600 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 6 . These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 600 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 106, the media devices 108, or the wirelesscommunication devices 116 of FIG. 1 . It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 600 can also represent other devices that canoperate in communication system 100 of FIG. 1 such as a gaming consoleand a media player. In addition, the controller 606 can be adapted invarious embodiments to perform the functions 162-166, respectively.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope of theclaims described below. For example, the transcoding, fragmenting, andmanifest generating function 162 described above may be divided andimplement among several devices illustrated in FIG. 1 . In particular,such functions may be performed by media processor 108, which may streamcontent in an adaptive bitrate streaming fashion to wirelesscommunication device 116. In addition, media processor 108 may implementthe adaptive bitrate streaming functions 166 as function 164. Otherembodiments can be used in the subject disclosure.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 700 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods described above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the transcoder 130, the media devices 108, thewireless communication device 116, servers in the content deliverynetwork 118 and other devices of FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, themachine may be connected (e.g., using a network 726) to other machines.In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of aserver or a client user machine in a server-client user networkenvironment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 700 may include a processor (or controller) 702(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a graphics processing unit(GPU, or both), a main memory 704 and a static memory 706, whichcommunicate with each other via a bus 708. The computer system 700 mayfurther include a display unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD), a flat panel, or a solid state display). The computer system 700may include an input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 714 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 716, a signal generationdevice 718 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 720. In distributed environments, the embodiments described inthe subject disclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units710 controlled by two or more computer systems 700. In thisconfiguration, presentations described by the subject disclosure may inpart be shown in a first of the display units 710, while the remainingportion is presented in a second of the display units 710.

The disk drive unit 716 may include a tangible computer-readable storagemedium 722 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,software 724) embodying any one or more of the methods or functionsdescribed herein, including those methods illustrated above. Theinstructions 724 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 704, the static memory 706, and/or within theprocessor 702 during execution thereof by the computer system 700. Themain memory 704 and the processor 702 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable gate array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. Distributedprocessing environments can include multiple processors in a singlemachine, single processors in multiple machines, and/or multipleprocessors in multiple machines. It is further noted that a computingdevice such as a processor, a controller, a state machine or othersuitable device for executing instructions to perform operations ormethods may perform such operations directly or indirectly by way of oneor more intermediate devices directed by the computing device.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 722 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure. The term “non-transitory” as in a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage includes without limitation memories, drives,devices and anything tangible but not a signal per se.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, and HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi, ZigBee®), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 800. In one or more embodiments, information regardinguse of services can be generated including services being accessed,media consumption history, user preferences, and so forth. Thisinformation can be obtained by various methods including user input,detecting types of communications (e.g., video content vs. audiocontent), analysis of content streams, and so forth. The generating,obtaining and/or monitoring of this information can be responsive to anauthorization provided by the user.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Theexemplary embodiments can include combinations of features and/or stepsfrom multiple embodiments. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figuresare also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certainproportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimizedAccordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement which achieves thesame or similar purpose may be substituted for the embodiments describedor shown by the subject disclosure. The subject disclosure is intendedto cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, can be used in the subject disclosure.For instance, one or more features from one or more embodiments can becombined with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. Inone or more embodiments, features that are positively recited can alsobe negatively recited and excluded from the embodiment with or withoutreplacement by another structural and/or functional feature. The stepsor functions described with respect to the embodiments of the subjectdisclosure can be performed in any order. The steps or functionsdescribed with respect to the embodiments of the subject disclosure canbe performed alone or in combination with other steps or functions ofthe subject disclosure, as well as from other embodiments or from othersteps that have not been described in the subject disclosure. Further,more than or less than all of the features described with respect to anembodiment can also be utilized.

Less than all of the steps or functions described with respect to theexemplary processes or methods can also be performed in one or more ofthe exemplary embodiments. Further, the use of numerical terms todescribe a device, component, step or function, such as first, second,third, and so forth, is not intended to describe an order or functionunless expressly stated so. The use of the terms first, second, thirdand so forth, is generally to distinguish between devices, components,steps or functions unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, oneor more devices or components described with respect to the exemplaryembodiments can facilitate one or more functions, where the facilitating(e.g., facilitating access or facilitating establishing a connection)can include less than every step needed to perform the function or caninclude all of the steps needed to perform the function.

In one or more embodiments, a processor (which can include a controlleror circuit) has been described that performs various functions. Itshould be understood that the processor can be multiple processors,which can include distributed processors or parallel processors in asingle machine or multiple machines. The processor can be used insupporting a virtual processing environment. The virtual processingenvironment may support one or more virtual machines representingcomputers, servers, or other computing devices. In such virtualmachines, components such as microprocessors and storage devices may bevirtualized or logically represented. The processor can include a statemachine, application specific integrated circuit, and/or programmablegate array including a Field PGA. In one or more embodiments, when aprocessor executes instructions to perform “operations”, this caninclude the processor performing the operations directly and/orfacilitating, directing, or cooperating with another device or componentto perform the operations.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus to indicate a program boundary in anadaptive bit rate media stream, the apparatus comprising: at least onememory; machine readable instructions stored in the at least one memory;a processor to at least one of instantiate or execute the machinereadable instructions to: generate multiple transcoded media outputstreams from an input linear media stream, the transcoded media outputstreams of the multiple transcoded media output streams having differentbit rates; fragment the multiple transcoded media output streams intochunks, the chunks to include respective display times; identify aprogram boundary within a particular chunk of the chunks, wherein theprogram boundary comprises a boundary between a first program and asecond program; subdivide the particular chunk into a first chunk and asecond chunk based on the identifying the program boundary within theparticular chunk; and insert a description of the program boundary intoa metadata file.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processorcomprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributedprocessing environment.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machinereadable instructions, when instantiated or executed, cause theprocessor to fragment the particular chunk at the program boundary intothe first chunk and the second chunk.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the machine readable instructions, when instantiated orexecuted, cause the processor to reduce, within the metadata file: afirst value corresponding to the first chunk to equal an amount of timefrom a beginning of the particular chunk to the program boundary; and asecond value corresponding to the second chunk to equal an amount oftime from the program boundary to an end of the particular chunk.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4, wherein the machine readable instructions, wheninstantiated or executed, cause the processor to: attribute the firstvalue corresponding to the first chunk to a sponsorship of the firstprogram; and attribute the second value corresponding to the secondchunk to a sponsorship of the second program.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the metadata file is a manifest file in a multimedia playlist(m3u) format.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine readableinstructions, when instantiated or executed, cause the processor to sendthe metadata file to a media player.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the metadata file includes a timestamp that matches a scheduledtime of the program boundary.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themachine readable instructions, when instantiated or executed, cause theprocessor to store the chunks and the metadata file in a contentdelivery network.
 10. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium,comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mediaplayer, cause the processor to at least: request media content fordisplay by the media player; receive a metadata file for an adaptivebitrate media stream of the media content, the metadata file including aprogram change indicator describing a chunk of the media content, theprogram change indicator identifying a program boundary within thechunk, the program boundary including a point between a first programand a second program, the chunk subdivided into a first fragment and asecond fragment; measure an available bandwidth for downloading datafrom a content delivery network; request the chunk of the media contentbased on the available bandwidth; receive the chunk from the contentdelivery network; detect the program change indicator for the chunk;identify the program boundary within the chunk based on the detection ofthe program change indicator for the chunk; and display the chunk of themedia content.
 11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage mediumof claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause theprocessor to: determine, based on the program boundary, that a portionof a chunk corresponds to the second program; and determine, based onthe second program, whether to display the portion of the chunk.
 12. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein thedetermination whether to display the portion of the chunk is based on arestriction on the second program.
 13. The non-transitory,machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions,when executed, cause the processor to black out the portion of the chunkcorresponding to the second program.
 14. The non-transitory,machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions,when executed, cause the processor to switch to another stream afterdisplaying a portion of the chunk before the program change indicator.15. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 14,wherein the another stream includes a sponsored media or anadvertisement.
 16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage mediumof claim 12, wherein the restriction is based on a parental controls ofa program.
 17. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium ofclaim 10, wherein the media player comprises a cellular handset, apersonal digital assistant, or a wireless networking device, and whereinthe processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in adistributed processing environment.
 18. A method, comprising:generating, with a processor, a metadata file that identifies uniformresource identifiers for downloading chunks of a transcoded media outputstream, wherein the chunks are fragments of the transcoded media outputstream, wherein the transcoded media output stream comprises a bitratethat is generated from an input linear media stream, the chunks toinclude respective display times; identifying, with a processor, aprogram boundary within a particular chunk of the chunks, wherein theprogram boundary comprises a boundary between a first program and asecond program; subdividing, with a processor, the particular chunk intoa first chunk and a second chunk based on the identifying the programboundary within the particular chunk; inserting, with a processor, adescription of the program boundary into the metadata file; and sending,with a processor, the metadata file to a media player.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the description includes an amount of time from abeginning of a chunk to the program boundary.
 20. The method of claim18, wherein the transcoded media output stream comprises a dynamicadaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) media stream,a hypertext transfer protocol live streaming (HLS) media stream, ahypertext transfer protocol smooth streaming (HSS) media stream, or ahypertext transfer protocol dynamic streaming (HDS) media stream.